WH1000 xM3 headphones - use with headphone amplifiers?

[lessopp]

Hi, Can you use these (marvellous) headphones with a headphone amplifier? Or does the headphone have an amplification chipset anyway? Any advice from experience would be helpful. Thanks.

[Anonymous]

Hi there,

Hopefully a community member will be able to help.

Best wishes,

M

[lessopp]

There have been three responses, so far, one of which is to join the query. I may talk to Sony direct to see if they can provide an answer. Thanks for getting in touch.

[RottenFoxBreath · Accepted solution]

You can use them wired, but they won't sound a patch on wireless.

No matter what you do, the internal circuitry and DAC/amp is what makes them sound so good.

If you want to use a DAC/amp, buy a plain wired set of cans, and not try the XM3's.

[Joe_Dohn · Accepted solution]

I agree with RottenFoxBreath, most wireless-capable (or high-end for that matter) headphones these days come with pre-calibrated DACs built-in to provide the best audio experience that the hardware can deliver. Having said that though, I'm yet to try an external DAC with my headphones, so I can't say for sure if you there's a worthwhile difference.

[RottenFoxBreath]

I use a DAC from Venture Electronics, it was less than tenner, and boy does it punch way above its weight.

This one here: https://www.veclan.com/engappliance_sel_one?eng_ApplianceVo.eac_id=32

But trying the same DAC on the Xperia 1 with XM3's wired, sounds flat, cheap, and lifeless.

But plug in any other decent cans I have, and the difference is very pronounced, and a world apart from the wired XM3's.